Slack adjuster



April 26, 1949; 5|MANEK 2,468,707

SLACK ADJUSTER Filed May 29, 1946 INVENTOR. V EDWARD J. SIMANEK ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 26, 1949 SLACK ADJUSTER Edward J. Simanek, Chicago, 111., assignor to American Steel Foundries, Chicago, 111., a corporation of New Jersey Application Ma! 29, 194.6, Serial No. 673,014 Claims. (Cl. 74-522) 1 This invention relates to slack adjusters and more particularly to a slack adjuster block or fulcrum means which is adapted for use in conjunction with railway car brakes.

One object of my invention is to provide a, simple and durable slack adjuster block which may be manufactured by the forging method to obtain close ilts between the parts as tolerances can be held closely in forged parts of this small size.

My invention also comprehends a slack adjuster arrangement in which the parts may be easily assembled and disassembled without deforming any of the parts.

Another object of my invention is to provide a brake slack adjuster block which may be readily repaired and in which the unbroken parts may be salvaged and reused.

- Other objects of my invention will be obvious from the drawings and as hereinafter described.

In the drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are isometric projections of my novel invention, Figure 1 being an isometric view of my novel slack adjuster with an associated brake lever shown in phantom lines, the screw-adjusting means being shown in the broken away part of the frame, and Figure 2 being a further isometric view withthe parts spaced apart in order to show their relationship to each other.

2 generally indicated 26, 26, have center webs 28. 28 and top and bottom webs 36 and 32 respectively. the center web 28 of each member 26 projecting at one end beyond the top and bottom webs and forming stop means 34, 34, and having at the opposite end U-shaped slots 36, 36 transversely thereof which are aligned with said openings 24, 24 and provide seats for the opposite ends of said pin 22. Said yoke 8 is slidably supported between the inboard portions of the top and bottom webs 30 and 32 respectively and is positioned between said center webs 26, 28.

The retaining plate 38 has a centralopening 40 similar to opening l6 in said end wall 10. Said plate 38 also has flanges 42, 42 at the top and bottom thereof with aligned openings 44, 44. The plate 38 is clamped to the end wall III while the inner face adjacent opposite edges thereof rests against said stop means 34, 34 to prevent sliding of said members 26, 26 with respect to said yoke 8. The supporting members 26, 26 are slidably interlocked with the sides 6, 6 of the frame 4,

. as may be clearly seen in Figure l.

To insert an integral fulcrum block member in I certain types of slack adjusters, it is necessary to deform the frame. To obviate deforming the frame, I have provided a novel fulcrum means comprising a plurality of interlocking parts which are assembled or dismantled in whole or in part within the slack adjuster frame and which are adjustable as a unit within the said frame.

Referring to the figures in the drawings it will be noted that the slack adjuster is mounted at one end of a brake rod 2 having an open rectangular frame 4 with sides 6, 6. The fulcrum means includes a U-shaped yoke, generally designated I, having an end wall It and spaced side walls l2, l2 defining the slot l4, :f' lljhe said end wall I. has a central opening i6 longitudinally of the yoke 2 and has other vertical aligned openings l8, II, as seen in Figure 2, said openings being provided for purposes hereinafter described. Interposed between said side walls i4, HI within said slot I4 is a fulcrum lever 26 having a central opening (not shown) therein through which passes the fulcrum lever pin 22, said pin extending through aligned openings 24, 24 formed in said walls l2, l2 transversely and adjacent the corresponding ends thereof.

Symmetrical supporting I-section members,

To assemble the slack adjuster, the yoke 8 is first assembled by placing the fulcrum lever 20 in slot i4. The center opening (not shown) in the fulcrum lever is aligned with associated openings 24, 24 in the adjacent side walls l2, l2, The fulcrum lever pin 22 is extended into said openings until it protrudes equally on both sides of the side walls l2, [2. The supportingmembers 26, 26 are next interlocked with said sides 6, 6 of the frame 4, a view of which is clearly shown in Figure 2. The assembled yoke 8 is then slidably inserted between said supporting members 26, 26 so that the end wall of said yoke 8 is adjacent said stop means 34, 34 while the opposite end of said yoke rests upon said pin 22 protruding on both sides transversely of said yoke, the protruding portions of pin 22 being seated within slots 36, 36 of said supporting members 26, 26. It will be noted that the frame 4 is of sufiicient length to accommodate the assembled yoke 8 and supporting members 26, 26 when these are placed in tandem within said frame.

The retaining plate 38 is clamped over the end wall l0 so that its opposite edges rest against said stop means 34, 34. Said parts, as a unit, may then be moved into position with respect to the slack adjuster screw 46, and a bolt 56inserted through the openings l8, l8 in the yoke 8, openings 44, 44 in the retaining plate 38, and opening 48 in the screw 46, the latter having one end thereof positioned within the opening l6 in the end wall It. The opposite end of the screw 46 extends through an opening (not shown) formed in the end of the frame Q. Mounted upon the outer end of the screw 48 is a nut 52 engaging the outer surface of said frame by means of which the adjusting screw and accordingly the fulcrum lever means may be adjusted longitudinally within the frame for varying slack device will, of course, be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a slack adjuster, a frame, and brake lever fulcrum means adjustably mounted therein comprising a plurality of members slidably embracing the sides of said frame, and a yoke between said members and supported thereby along substantially the full length thereof.

2. In a brake slack adjuster, the combination of an elongated frame, and brake lever fulcrum means adjustably mounted therein, said fulcrum means comprising a pair of spaced I-section members having their remote channels slidably receiving opposite sides of said frame respectively, and a fulcrum block between said members and having opposite sides thereof snugly received within adjacent channels in said members for support thereby along substantially the full length thereof.

' 3. In a slack adjuster, the combination of a frame, and brake lever fulcrum means mounted therein including a yoke and a pair of members at opposite sides of said yoke, said members having spaced webs with portions embracing said yoke therebetween to afford support for said yoke and to interlock the same with said webs, said members having other portions embracing said frame for interlocking engagement therewith.

4. In a slack adjuster, the combination of a frame, and brake lever fulcrum means adjustably mounted therein, comprising a fulcrum block, a'

pair-of I-section members at opposite sides of said block, each member having spaced parallel webs and an angularly related intermediate web connected to said parallel webs and defining therewith coplanar channels at opposite sides of said member, one of the channels in each member receiving a side portion of said block therein for connecting said block with said member.

5. In a slack adjuster, a frame, brake lever fulcrum means mounted therein comprising an elongated fulcrum block, a pairof members at 4 slidably embracing said frame, and an abutment member seated against one end of said block and releasabiy connected thereto and having portions extending laterally of said block beyond the sides thereof for abutment with the adjacent ends of said members to prevent endwise movement between said block and members in opposite directions.

7. In a brake slack adjuster, the combination of a frame, and brake lever fulcrum means adjustably mounted therein comprising a plurality of members releasably interlocked, one of said members being slotted for receiving an associated. brake lever therein and the other of said members being disposed at opposite sides of said one member and receiving portions of the same therein for interlocking engagement therewith and to afford support therefor and slidably embracing opposite sides of said block having laterally extending projections embracing said block therebetween to afford support for said block and to interlock said block and members against relative transverse movement, said members having other laterally extending projections embracing said frame therebetween to interlock said members with said frame.

said frame.

8. In a brake slack adjuster, the combination of a frame, brake lever fulcrum means adjustably mounted therein comprising an elongated fulcrum block, a pair of members disposed at opposite sides of said block, each of said members having channels at opposite sides thereof respectively receiving a portion of said block and said frame, said block having transverse openings at one end for the reception of a lever fulcrum pin, said members having longitudinally extending recesses at one end for reception of opposite ends of said pin respectively, and a locking member seated against the opposite end of said block and connected thereto and abutting against the adjacent ends of said members and cooperating with said pin to prevent endwise movement of said block and members relative to each other for maintaining the same in assembled relation.

9. In a brake slack adjuster, the combination of a frame, brake lever fulcrum means mounted therein, said fulcrum means comprising I-section members which are first mounted within the frame for slidabie connection therewith and having openings for the reception of a lever fulcrum pin, a yoke having openings for the reception of the lever fulcrum pin and being movable endwise between said members into adjacent channels in said members and thus into interlocking relationship therewith, a retainer member mounted on said yoke at an end remote from said pin openings therein in abutment with the adjacent ends of said members, and an adjusting screw extending longitudinally of said yoke operable to move said means longitudinally of said frame to effect adjustment of the position thereof, and means releasably connecting said yoke with said retainer member and said screw.

10. In a slack adjuster, a frame, fulcrum means comprising a yoke and a plurality of I-section supporting members having adjacent channels confining the opposite sides of said yoke for sub- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Blake'slee Feb. 9, 1932 

